Inhaler.



Unirse STATES ATENT Druten.

HARRY A. MCINTOSH, OF LIBERTY, INDIANA.

INHALER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 659,542, dated October 9` 1900'.

Application filed February 14,190.0. Serial No. 5,7206. (No model.)

To ctZZ 1072/0721/ it mfcty concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY A. McINTosH, a resident of Liberty, in the county of Union and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Inhalers; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to Which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in inhalers, the object of the invention being to provide an inhaler which can be used for either the mouth or nose and which will in appearance resemble a cigar-holder.

With this object in View the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a view in section, illustrating my improvements in position for use as a nasal inhaler; and Fig. 2 is a similar view of the device when in position for use as an inhaler for the mouth or in position for conveniently carrying the device in a pocket.

A represents a cylindrical casing contracted at one end to form a mouthpiece 1 and provided in its other end with a tubular plug 2, closed at its inner end by a disk 3, for closing the end of said casing and adapted to give to the device the appearance of a cigarholder.

The casing A is provided in its upper side, near the mouthpiece end, with a hole 4, in which a nasal tube 5 is mounted. The lower end of said tube 5 is made flaring, as shown at 6, so that when said tube is drawn outward the flaring lower end of said tube will lit snugly in the hole 4 and hold the tube in its raised or outer position. The outer or upper end of the tube 5 is provided with an enlargenient 7. and the casing A is made with a recess around the hole 4 to form a seat and partial housing for the enlargement to practically hide the same from view when not in use, and said enlargement 7 is provided in one side with a small notch 9, in Which the linger-nail of the operator can be easily inserted to effect the withdrawal of the tube 5 when desired.

An air-tube l0 extends from the mouthpiece to a point near the plugged end of the casing, and a medicated sponge or other' similar device is placed in the casing, near the plugged end thereof, and preferably surrounds the tube l0.

The operation of my improvements when used as a nasal inhaler is as follows: 'lhe tube 5 is inserted in the nose and the mouthpiece l in the mouth of the patient, and when he exhales or blows into the mouthpiece his breath will be forced through the medicated sponge and convey the medicated vapor through the tube 5 into the nose and thence into the lungs. If desired, the nasal tube 5 can be pushed inward into the casing and the medicated vapor inhaled through the mouth, for when the patient inhales through the mouthpiece air will be drawn through the nasal tube 4, thence through the medicated sponge into the air-tube lO and through. the same to the mouth. The plug 2 can be readily removed when it is desired to recharge the sponge or to clean the casing, and the device when assembled will be extremely small and convenient to carry, and owing to its resemblance to a cigar-holder will not excite curiosity, as is the case with all devices of similar character now on the market.

Various slight changes might be resorted to in the general form and arrangement of the Several parts described without depart- ,ing from the spirit and scope of myinvention,

and hence I would have it understood that I do not wish to limit myself to the precise details set forth, but consider' myself at liberty to make such slight changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. An inhaler comprising a casing having a mouthpiece at one end, absorbentinaterial in said casing, means for introducing air to one side of said absorbent material and a tube sliding freely in the wall of the casing and normally inclosed therein.

2. An inhaler comprising a tubular casing having a mouthpiece at one end and a removable plug at its other end, a tube communicating with the mouthpiece and termi- IOO in said opening and made flaring at its inner end to snugly tit in the opening when the tube is pulled outward, an enlargement on the outer end of said tube to prevent its entrance into the easing when pushed inward, said casing recessed to form a seat for said enlargement.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

HARRY A. McINTosH.

Witnesses:

GEORGE N. SNYDER, G. W. WHITE. 

